This invention, a self-ratcheting mechanism, has numerous applications in consumer, medical and industrial products, but, a screwdriver is the preferred item to serve as the exemplification of the advantages, that the self-ratcheting mechanism provides. Prior art ratcheting screwdrivers, employ a single ratcheting mechanism, that is required to be intermittently-ratcheted between drives and therefore only ready-to-drive hardware 50% of the time, while the remaining 50%, is time and effort that is unproductively spent, ratcheting-up. Thus, screwdrivers, mechanized with the conventional single-ratcheting mechanism, are only 50% efficient.
Whereas, a screwdriver, mechanized with the self-ratcheting system, employs a pair of conventional ratcheting or clutching mechanisms to eliminate the users need to waste time and effort ratcheting between drives. The ratcheting occurs automatically within the mechanism, as reciprocating input-motion is applied while the screwdriver is being operated.
Because the dual-drive self-ratcheting mechanism comprises a minimum of a pair of any ratchet and pawl arrangement or clutching means, solely for exemplification and simplicity, the included illustrations depict a suggested assembly procedure of a dual-drive self-ratcheting mechanism, that employs a pair of the standard ratchet wheel and pawl arrangement, with a 3-position switch for selecting forward drive, reverse drive and standard [non-ratcheting] direct-drive.